Art inspired by vacant buildings sought 
By SARA FOSS
Gazette Reporter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALBANY - Vacant buildings often inspire thoughts of blight and decay.
But the Historic Albany Foundation hopes to provide a different perspective on the city's abandoned properties.

The organization is asking local and regional artists to create art inspired by Albany's vacant buildings. The work will be displayed and sold during a Nov. 16 cocktail reception and silent auction titled "Vacancy: Albany's Abandoned Buildings Through Artists' Eyes."

Art is a good vehicle for helping people see the potential of vacant buildings, said Elizabeth Griffin, executive director of Historic Albany. One of the main goals of "Vacancy" is to make people aware of the number of vacant buildings in Albany and what they can do to help fix them, she said.

Earlier this year Historic Albany launched its Vacant Buildings Initiative, a program that seeks to identify vacant buildings throughout the city and find ways to get people interested in restoring and purchasing the buildings.

The artwork displayed in "Vacancy" will be inspired by specific vacant buildings, and information about those buildings will be available at the program. "You could learn about a vacant building, what the cost is and what it would take to rehab a vacant building," said Colleen Ryan, president-elect of Historic Albany.

All types of artwork are welcome, Ryan said. Although most of the pieces submitted for the show will probably be paintings and photographs, organizers also expect sculptures and even a video installation.

Len Tantillo, an artist with a studio in Schodack, will serve as the event's honorary chair. He said the program is a way to highlight Albany's historic architecture. "Although we've lost most of our early architectural heritage, what remains is still very precious to us," he said.

Artists also benefit from the program, because it gives them a way to present their work to the public, Tantillo said.

Neighborhood leaders will compile lists of vacant buildings in their neighborhoods for Historic Albany, and Historic Albany members plan to do a street survey of abandoned properties soon. The goal is to eventually produce a map that shows where the city's vacant buildings are located.

"In Albany there's a lot of older housing stock, but there's no coordinated effort to match potential buyers with homes," Ryan said.

"Vacancy" will be an annual event, but Ryan said she hopes that the number of abandoned properties will decrease, making such a program unnecessary. "I hope this is a fund-raiser we can't have in 10 years," she said.

People interested in submitting artwork can contact Historic Albany. The organization is also soliciting works from artists, Ryan said.

Artists participating in "Vacancy: Albany's Abandoned Buildings Through Artists' Eyes" will receive 60 percent of the proceeds of any work sold at the reception. The rest of the money will benefit Historic Albany.

The location of the program is to be announced. Tickets cost $50.

Contact Sara Foss at 432-4391 or saraafoss@aol.com.
Reply to Gazette Newspapers: gazette@dailygazette.com